ERIK TEN HAG still has the backing of Manchester United — but his potential sacking is being discussed openly by the players.
The under-fire Red Devils manager faces a massive four days to save his job, with Thursday’s difficult Europa League clash away to Porto followed by a trip to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.
Ten Hag, whose team slumped to a 3-0 loss to Spurs on Sunday, has the support of the club’s board but patience is running out.
Two more poor defeats and the Dutchman will find himself facing the axe.
The vast majority of United’s stars are also behind the beleaguered manager.
But there has been much talk among the squad over how much longer he will remain in charge with the club floundering in the Prem.
United have registered just seven points so far, their joint-lowest after six games of a Premier League season.
But Ten Hag, who signed a one-year extension until 2026 in July, claims he is unconcerned about his future.
He said: “No, I am not thinking about this.
“We all decided to stay together in the summer.”
FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS
If United axe Ten Hag, assistant boss Ruud van Nistelrooy is likely to take temporary charge.
Former United star Rio Ferdinand is worried for the club’s future.
He said: “It doesn’t look like the United players know what the plan is because I don’t see it on the pitch.
“Six hundred million spent by Ten Hag and it’s the most inconsistent team around. That hurts me to say that.”
SunSport's DAVE KIDD says Erik ten Hag's time at Man Utd is up… and explains what's wrong with all the potential candidates to replace him.
THIS is a mid-table squad at an underachieving club, with a lot of unwanted players on big money.
And Ratcliffe is an instinctive cost-cutter who may not pay top dollar to the next manager.
If this club wasn’t called ‘Manchester United’, it wouldn’t be an especially desirable job.
The good news for United is that their new sporting director, Dan Ashworth, is a very decent judge of a manager.
He has been instrumental in three previous managerial appointments — Gareth Southgate for England, Graham Potter for Brighton and Eddie Howe for Newcastle.
None were wildly popular at the time, all were conspicuous successes.
Interestingly, Ashworth’s No 1 choice for the Newcastle job was Unai Emery, who turned him down to stay at Villarreal but has since proved that judgment right by excelling at Aston Villa.
Emery may well deliver the coup de grace to Ten Hag on Sunday — especially with Bruno Fernandes suspended and Kobbie Mainoo an injury doubt.
And the Spaniard would be an excellent fit for United — yet there is next to no chance that he would abandon Villa’s Champions League campaign to take the Old Trafford job, not least because he isn’t a stark raving madman.
Howe would be another good candidate to succeed Ten Hag but, although he has become frustrated on Tyneside, the Saudis would surely not allow Ratcliffe to poach Howe, as they reluctantly did with Ashworth.
Potter is available but his Chelsea experience and lack of charisma would make him a tough sell.
Which brings us to Southgate, who remains close with Ashworth and is an excellent man-manager who was seriously considered by United last spring.
Yet, despite having led England to two of their three major finals, Southgate’s reputation for over-caution was only enhanced during the Euros.
Mauricio Pochettino, passed over twice by United, is out of the equation having taken the United States job.
Thomas Tuchel would be a popular and gettable option but, despite being a fine coach and a very engaging man, he is considered something of a loose cannon.
Likewise, Roberto De Zerbi, now at Marseille after his brief Brighton stint sparkled then fizzled out.
Kieran McKenna — a gifted former United coach who has won back-to-back promotions with Ipswich Town — is an intriguing candidate but the imminent vacancy may come a year or so too soon.
Marco Silva, the extremely under-rated Fulham boss, has been on United’s radar and should not be discounted.
Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim, last season’s ‘next big thing’, was passed over by West Ham as well as Liverpool this summer and is not an easy man to pin down.
Zinedine Zidane, who has taken over from Alan Curbishley as a 20-1 shot for every Premier League job, is a ‘figurehead’ manager and not an Ashworth type.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, the former United goal machine who joined Ten Hag’s coaching team in the summer is the bookies’ favourite. Simply because he’s in the building and he’s Dutch.
So, yes, getting rid of Ten Hag is the easy part.